Shock-absorbing and motion-impelling means for cinematographs



Sept. 27, 1949. 1. 155 2,482,744

SHOCK-ABSORBING AND MOTION-IMPELLING MEANS FOR GINEMATOGRAPHS Filed Jan. .12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 422 I" E 5 i 5 5 /0-/ I M I z E z I E V A I y I INVENTOR I (Away 6w 54 BY I 7 M. ATTORNEYS 57 Sept. 27, 1949. 355 7 2,482,744

SHOCK-ABSORBING AND MOTION-IMPELLING MEANS FOR CINEMATOGRAPHS 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet? III] [III I/ I II III Ill/I- I INVENTOR' J/Zuqg ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1949 SHOCK-ABSORBING AND MO'rI oN- IMPEL- LING MEANS FOR CINEMATOGBAPHS Irving Cisski, Schiller Park,: Ill., ,assignor to Ampro Corporation, Chicag0,' Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 12, 1946,. Serial No. 40,955

This invention relates to shock-absorbing and motion-impelling means for the operating mechanism for cinematographs'.

In the operation of cinem'atographs, two operational problems are encountered. The first has to do with the need for dissipating the kinetic energy of the rapidly moving parts intermediate the motor and the film-shutter and -transport mechanism when the action of the latter is suddenly checked; The second has to do with instantly impelling movement in the film-shutter and -transport mechanism when it is subsequently released and thereby overcoming the lag that occurs in the transmission of motion from the motor to said mechanism.

Obviously, the securing of the best results requires that the film-shutter and -transport mechanism should be stopped and started in the briefes't possible fraction of a second. That necessitates placing the means which controls the arrest and the release of the film-shutter and -transport mechanism at the nearest possible point to that mechanism. The nearest point at which that can be effected is the means which most directly causes the movement of the film-shutter and -transport mechanism, namely, the drive shaft for that mechanism.

Between the aforesaid shaft and the motor is a train of gears which, when in motion, creates a considerable amount of kinetic energy. Thus, when instantly checking the shaft which most directly causes the operation of the film-shutter.

and -transport mechanism, it is advantageous to provide means for absorbing the kinetic energy created by this train of gears.

However, the efliciency of a cinematograph, and the personal satisfaction which the operator thereof derives from its use, is dependent upon how quickly the movement of the film-shutter and -transport mechanism can be effected following the operators release of poWer from the motor. Obviously, it takes a measure of time for the motor to communicate the torque thereof to the driving shaft for the film-shutter and -transport mechanism, after the stopping means for such mechanism has been released. It is, therefore, also advantageous to provide means for impelling the initial movement of the drive shaft for the film-shutter and -transport mechanism, the instant that mechanism has been released, thereby overcoming the lagin the transmission of the force of the starting torque of the motor to the film-shutter and -transport mechanism.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved driving means for the 4 Claims. (01. res-'37) film-shutter and -transport mechanism of a cin'ematograph which acts to store up the kinetic energy'existent in the motor and the means connecting'it with the film-shutter and -transport mechanism, when the latter is brought toa sudden stop, and subsequently to use that stored up energy to overcome the static inertia of the filmshutter and -transport mechanism when it is subsequently released .for. operation; and to .pro-

vide a driving mechanism of this kind including a yielding element therein which will permit one part' thereof to slightlyoverrun another part when they rotation. of the latter-is; suddenly checked, thereby storing up insaid'yieldingmeans, for subsequent release to initiate the movement of ;the' film-shutter and -tran'sport mechanism, thekinetic energy existent in the driving mechanism when the film-shutter and transport mechanism is suddenly checked. I

. The preferred embodiment of this invention is shown'in the accompanying drawings on a scale considerably larger than actual size, in which,'

Fig.1 is a transverse sectionalview of a motion picture camera wherein has been incorporated the improved meansfor storing up the kinetic energy of theoperating partsand subsequently releasin it to overcome the inertia of the film-shutter and trans'port mechanism; v

Fig. 2 is a detail-view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,. showing the'trigger mechanism by which the movement ofthefilm-shutter and -transport mechanism is checked and released; and I Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

' A motion picture camera embodying this im-,

proved means, for storing upand subsequently releasing the kinetic energy of the motor-driven means, comprisesa housing It divided by a verticalpartition I [,to form a magazine. compartment l2 and an operating-mechanism compartment l 3,'in the latterofwhich is mounted a motor-driven gear train lli connected to operate a film-shutter and -transp ort mechanism, as permitted by the. control means 15, if said control means is not rendered inoperative by the motortorque control means I 6 orthe motor-controlreadyingmechanism cam 11. The gear train l4 incorporates therein a preferred form of the im-. proved shock-absorbin and motion-impelling means I 8 constructed in accordance with this invention.

The gear train it, as ,shown; in Fig. 3, is journaled 0n the. housing It and. partition H, within the operating-mechanism compartment l 3. Through the medium of the shock-absorbing and motion-impelling means [8, to be more fully hereinafter described, the gear train I4 drives the spiral gears l9 and which are respectively connected to operate a film-shutter and transport mechanism and a governor-control mechanism. These latter mechanisms are notshown herein since they are not directly'r'elated to the disclosure. However, they are fully shown and described in co-pending applications Serial No, 640,952, filed January 12, 1946, and Serial No"? 640,950, filed January 12, 1946."

volves a rocker arm 40 which, so long as the torque The gear [9 is connected by a spirer' ear' 24 to operate the drive shaft 22, for the aforemeIrtioned film-shutter and -transport"mecliahism,"

as permitted by the operative readiness of the motor-control means I5.

The motor-control means |'e'is'hiiiysiicwnefiw described in co-pending application Serial No.

640,949, filed January 12, 1946, now Patent No.

2,442,756 Onlys uch part of that means is illustrated inthese views'asis'necessary to underst'ari the construction and operation of 'this in-' I t sucha motorl-control means includes a trigger bar 23'whi ch' is adapted to be'actuated we suitablestartingdial (not shown) for the purpose of'moving the stops 24 and into and o'u'tof the path of a shoulder 26 on a trigger cam 21 mounted onthe film shutter and -transport mechanismdriveshaft'22k The connection of the startingdial with'the trigger bar 231s through the"medi um'of a'pini'etracting lever 28 rockingly' mountedf ona slida ble'pivot not shown herein) on'fs'aid trig'ger bar 23; A pin 29, carried by said pin-retracting lever 28, is normally held in the bottom of'the transversepart of the ,T-Shaped :1'

slot 3'0, for'r ned; in said trigger bar 23. Therefore, when the lever za isfshijted either to the right ,or left'ofFigz l itserves to shift the trigger bar 23 to move one or the other of'thej stops 24 or 25 into or out of the" path of the shoulder 26 on thetrig er c'am 21, as" will more fully appear in the aforesaid Patent 2,442,756,

Associated with the trigger bar 23; is a cam rocker-arm 3'! and'a 'cam'lever 32'." The respective shifting of these parts, by the "motortorque control-means l 6' pr the canr l fl; will eife ct'a shifting of the pin-retracting lever- 28fso as tornove the pin 29 into the transversepart of the T-shaped slot 3i"): This willperrnit a shifting of the" trigger bar Z'Sindependently of the lever 28; under the iii-fiuence'of aspring (not shown), to its neutral position the stop-24 in positionto engage the shoulder 26 on the trigger cam 2 'l,thereby arresting any further movement'ofa film-shutter and nurse t'jnie'chanisnrfl u t t H w I As" willbe noted from Fig. I 1 the cam-rocker armtl is pivoted at 33" adjacent to-the rear portion of 'the trig ger bar 23. The inner end of this eerrl 'reeker arm 3i h'asla transversely-extending fiangeflM which is adapted to engage the lower edge of the'p'i'n-rtracting lever 28, when the inner end of'saidicam -rocker arm BI is'swungon the pivot 33. Sucha swinging oi the rocker arm 3| shiftsthe pin 29 out of the :bottom of the stern part of the T- shaped slot tfl into fthe transverse part,

to perrnit the'release of the trigger bargt from the-"pin retracting lever28 asnoted above, and as fully explained inthe ,aforesaidPatent No; 2,442,756. The upp'er endof the member 3| is formed with a hook '35 which is engaged by a shoulder 36 on the camlever 32. The cam lever 32 is pivotedt' a l andcouritei'bal'anced"sdthat he m e l i fthe 9 45 g ithem-roe e enr'slc "rnispesrtiens themenneweem' surface l q mei ilrh dth ho der 36 o'f'the motor exceeds a certain minimum, occupies the position'shownin Fig. 1. As explained in the aforesaid application, Serial No. 640,957, when the torquedrops below a certain predetermined the'arnilllis shifted in the direction of thear'rowfi I. This'causes the cam end 42 of the arm to contact the opposed cam surface 43 on the cam-rocker arm 3| and swing said rocker arm topress the transverse flange 34 against the pin retra'cting lever 28 and lift the pin 29 into the transverse part of the 'T-shaped slot 30 in the trigger bar23. p v v The'arran'ge'ment and operation of the motorcontr ol-readying-mechanism cam I1 is fully shov'vjn" and described in co-pending application Serial'No. 640,951, now Patent No. 2,443,601. The movement of this cam to the right or left of, Fig.

1, to engage or disengage the cam surface 39 on the cam lever 32, is determined by the operation of mechanism associated with a film magazine adaptedfto be inserted in'the magazine compartrnent 12; as will appear from the aforesaid Patent No, 2443,601. The movement of the cam I! to the right of Fig, 1 causes it to depress thelever 32 which elevates the forward end of the rocker arm 3! andcauses the'transverse flange to elevate the pineretracting lever 28 and move the pin 29 thereon into the transverse part of the T shaped' slot 36in the trigger bar 23, for the purpose of releasing said trigger bar from the action of the starting dial;

, T e, im ro ed ho ke bso s a m o 'i-- imp'elling means 18, embodying this invention, comprises, a pair o'frotatable parts 44 and 4 5 whichjjare rotatably connected together by means ;1 ofja coiletd springlih' The parts 6 and 45 are mountedon a shaft'dl, journaled in bearings 48 and 49 on opposite sides of the"housing '10. The

' (which, for all practical purposes inhe part "44(1) has fixedthereon the spiral 1: gears i9 and 29. The former of these is connected to'jhe spiral; 2} which operates the shaft 22 whereon is'nrounted the trigger pawl 2'7.

Tne member 45 mounts a gear 56, to rotate therewith, whichmeshes with a gear 5! of the trainer gears 14. V v

The fiplll lgla fifhaS the ends thereof slipped over theopposing ends of the members 44 and 45. The several convolutions at each end of the spring deffrietiofnally engage the cylindrical surfaces of themernbersM and 45. So long as power is apto, the member 45 in the direction of the arrow egt'n gri, of that end of the spring 46 on the member 45 is increased. The consequent revolving ofthe spring 46 with the member 45 tend'sftotighten' the grip of the other end convo- 'l'iivn fe the er es 51 h mem 4. n there'by cause itto' rotate in unison with the m e Aspiring-actuated eccentric cam 53 prevents the f-the sp ringegfto reverse the rotation of mber 45; This eccentric 53 is mounted on Whihl O the trie r ar 2 -1 A 55 ,"ernbra a bushing on the pin 54 9139 bear ne' n th t f the hous: ing It "ahd'the otherend'dl hooked under the edge of the eccentric 53, so as to urge the face 58 of the eccentric to engage the periphery of the spring 46 and bind against it when the spring 46 tends to recoil, following the arresting of the drive of the cinematograph motor.

This spring connection of the members 44 and 45 accomplishes two very beneficial results: first, it absorbs the shock caused by suddenly stopping the film-shutter and -transport mechanism; and secondly, it stores up the kinetic energy of the moving parts, to subsequently give an initial impulse to said film-shutter and -transport mechanism when it is again released.

When the rotation of the shaft 22 is suddenly arrested, through a shifting of the stops 24 and 25 into the path of the shoulder 26 on the cam trigger 21, the rotation of the member 44 is also instantly checked by reason of its connection through the spiral gear IS with the gear 2|. However, the shock of suddenly arresting the movement of the several parts of the gear train I4 is absorbed into the spring46 by reason of the fact that the spring 46 will exercise a gradually increasing restraint upon the continued rotation of the part 45. Thus, the force of the kinetic energy in this rotating mass isabsorbed into the spring rather than converted into vibrations dissipated through the camera mechanism.

This stored-up energy in the spring 45 is subsequently available as a booster force for impelling rotative motion in the member 44 at the instant that one of the stops 24 or 25, on the trigger bar 23, is retracted from the path of the shoulder 25 on the trigger pawl 21. Thus the'filmshutter and -transport mechanism, connected with the member 44 through the medium of the spiral gears I9 and 2 I, has its static inertia overcome by the stored-up kinetic energy in the spring 46 and is in motion when the released torque of the motor is available for fully operating the filmshutter and -transport mechanism.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. The combination of a rotating member, means movable into and out of position to check the rotation of said member, mechanism connecting said rotating member to a motor, said mechanism comprising a pair of parts operatively connected together by a resilient element adapted to stop the motor when rotation of said member is checked, to permit one of said parts to overrun the other said part when said rotation is checked :and to maintain said parts at equal speeds during periods of rotation of said member, other means adapted to hold said one part in its overrun position thereby storing up the kinetic energy in said mechanism for subsequent application in overcoming the static inertia of said other part when said rotating member is released by said rotation checking means.

2. The combination of a rotating member, means movable into and out of position to check the rotation of said member, mechanism connecting said rotating member to a motor, said mechanism comprising a pair of cylindrical parts, a coiled spring having :the ends thereof frictionally embracing the respective cylindrical parts for driving one from the other, said spring having characteristics of resilience adapting it to stop the motor when rotation of said member is checked, to permit one of said parts to overrun the other said part when rotation of saidmemher is checked, and to maintain said parts at equal speeds during periods of rotation of said member, other means adapted to hold said one part in its overrun position thereby storing up in said spring the kinetic energy in said mechanism for subsequent application in overcoming the static inertia of said other part when said driven member is released by said rotation checking means.

3. In :a cinematograph, a film-shwtter-andtransport .drive shaft, means movable into and out of position for checking the rotation of said shaft, a gear train connecting said shaft with a motor, said gear train including a pair of cylindrical parts, a coiled spring connecting said parts in driving relation, said spring having characteristics of resilience adapting it to stop the motor when rotation of said drive shaft is checked, to permit one of said parts to overrun the other part when the rotation of said drive shaft is checked, and to maintain said parts at equal speeds during periods of rotation of said shaft, other means adapted to hold said one part in its overrun position thereby storing up the kinetic energy in said gear train for subsequent application in overcoming the static inertia of said drive shaft when said drive shaft is released by said rotation checking means.

4. In a cinematogra-ph including a rotatable drive shaft, driving mechanism for the shaft comprising a motor and gearing, and a device movable into and. out of position for [checking rotation of the shaft; means interposed between the shaft and driving mechanism comprising driving and driven rotatable parts connected respectively with the gear train and with the shaft, and a spring connecting said parts in driving and driven relation, said spring having characteristics of resilience adapting it to stop the motor upon checking of the shaft rotation, to permit overrun of the driving part to a degree limited substantially to store the kinetic energy in the operating driving mechanism when such stopping occurs for subsequent release quickly to bring said shaft to operating speed upon release of the shaft, and

to maintain said driving and driven parts at equal speeds following such release of stored energy.

IRVING CISSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

